Thermostat and system and method for use of same

ABSTRACT

A thermostat and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, multiple wireless transceivers are located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes a processor and memory. To improve convenience, the thermostat may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device having a display. Virtual remote control functionality for various amenities may then be provided. To improve safety, the thermostat may be incorporated into a geolocation and safety network.

PRIORITY STATEMENT & CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/173,957 entitled “Thermostat and System and Method for Use of Same”filed on Feb. 21, 2021, in the name of William C. Fang et al., now U.S.Pat. No. 11,381,850 and issued on Jul. 5, 2022; which claims priorityfrom U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 63/117,630 entitled “Thermostatand System and Method for Use of Same” filed on Nov. 24, 2020, in thename of William C. Fang; which are both hereby incorporated byreference, in entirety, for all purposes. U.S. patent application Ser.No. 17/173,957 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 17/103,452 entitled “Gateway Device and System and Method forUse of Same” filed on Nov. 24, 2020, in the names of William C. Fang etal., now U.S. Pat. No. 11,284,122 and issued on Mar. 22, 2022; which isa continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/570,043 entitled“Gateway Device and System and Method for Use of Same” filed on Sep. 13,2019, in the names of William C. Fang et al, now U.S. Pat. No.10,848,789 and issued on Nov. 24, 2020; which claims the benefit of U.S.Patent Application Ser. No. 62/731,822 entitled “Gateway Device andSystem and Method for Use of Same” filed on Sep. 15, 2018, in the nameof William C. Fang; all of which are hereby incorporated by reference,in entirety, for all purposes. U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/570,043 is also a continuation in part of Ser. No. 16/201,783entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Method for Providing Awareness in aHospitality Environment” filed on Nov. 27, 2018, in the names of VanessaOgle et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 10,602,196 issued on Mar. 24, 2020; whichis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/652,622entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Method for Providing Awareness in aHospitality Environment” filed on Jul. 18, 2017, in the names of VanessaOgle et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 10,142,662 issued on Nov. 27, 2018; whichis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/165,851entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Method for Providing Awareness in aHospitality Environment” filed on May 26, 2016, in the names of VanessaOgle et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 9,712,872 issued on Jul. 18, 2017; whichis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/461,479entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Method for Providing Awareness in aHospitality Environment” filed on Aug. 18, 2014, in the names of VanessaOgle et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 9,357,254 issued on May 31, 2016; whichclaims priority from U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/935,862entitled “System and Method for Providing Awareness in a HospitalityEnvironment” and filed on Feb. 5, 2014, in the name of Vanessa Ogle; allof which are hereby incorporated by reference, in entirety, for allpurposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in general, to devices and systems formonitoring and controlling heating and cooling in a room or otherenvironment to a setpoint temperature and, in particular, to thermostatswith enhanced convenience and systems and methods for use of the samethat address and enhance the automation of solutions in the room or theother environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Without limiting the scope of the present invention, the background willbe described in relation to the hospitality lodging industry, as anexample. To many individuals, a hotel room is more than just a place tosleep, rather it is part of a larger and hopefully positive, hospitalityexperience. Hotel guests are seeking enhanced convenience in aneasy-to-use platform to make this experience a reality. As a result ofsuch consumer preferences, hassle free connectivity and confidenceinspiring control of room amenities are differentiators in determiningthe experience of guests staying in hospitality lodging establishments.Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods forproviding enhanced convenience in an easy-to-use platform in thehospitality lodging industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be advantageous to achieve a thermostat that would improve uponexisting limitations in functionality. It would be desirable to enable acomputer-based electronics and software solution that would provideenhanced convenience in an easy-to-use platform in the hospitalitylodging industry or in another environment. Further, it would also bedesirable to enable a computer-based electronics and software solutionthat would provide improved safety in a reliable platform. To betteraddress one or more of these concerns, a thermostat and system andmethod for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of thethermostat, multiple wireless transceivers are located within a housing,which also interconnectively includes a processor and memory.

The thermostat may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device having a display and various amenities.Content, such as the Internet, movies, music, or games, for example, maybe imported, e.g., streamed, from the programmable device andreformatted at the thermostat for rendering on one of the amenities.Virtual remote control functionality of the amenities may also beprovided. To improve safety, the thermostat may be incorporated into ageolocation and safety network.

In another embodiment, a system for remote control is disclosed. Aprogramming interface is configured to communicate with a thermostat,which includes a housing securing a temperature input, a temperatureoutput, a processor, non-transitory memory, and storage therein with abusing architecture providing interconnectivity. The non-transitorymemory is accessible to the processor and the non-transitory memoryincludes various processor-executable instructions that, when executedby the processor, cause the system to perform various operations,including the aforementioned pairing, virtual remote controlfunctionality, and incorporation into a geolocation and safety network,for example. These and other aspects of the invention will be apparentfrom and elucidated with reference to the embodiments describedhereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of thepresent invention, reference is now made to the detailed description ofthe invention along with the accompanying figures in which correspondingnumerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is schematic diagram depicting one embodiment of a system forproviding a thermostat furnishing enhanced convenience and safetyfunctionality therewith, according to the teachings presented herein;

FIG. 2A is a front elevation view of one embodiment of the thermostatdepicted in FIG. 1 in further detail;

FIG. 2B is a top plan view of the thermostat depicted in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3A is a front elevation view of another embodiment of a thermostat,according to the teachings presented herein;

FIG. 3B is a top plan view of the thermostat depicted in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of thethermostat presented in FIGS. 2A and 2B;

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram depicting one operationalembodiment of a portion of the thermostat shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram depicting another operationalembodiment of a portion of the thermostat shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart depicting one embodiment of a method forproviding a thermostat having enhanced convenience according to theteachings presented herein; and

FIG. 8 is a flow chart depicting one embodiment of a method forproviding a thermostat furnishing enhanced safety according to theteachings presented herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the making and using of various embodiments of the presentinvention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated thatthe present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts, whichcan be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specificembodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways tomake and use the invention, and do not delimit the scope of the presentinvention.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, therein is depicted one embodiment of asystem 10 utilizing a thermostat 12 with enhanced content capabilitiesand safety capabilities being employed within a hospitality lodgingestablishment. The hospitality lodging establishment or, more generally,hospitality property, may be a furnished multi-family residence, adormitory, a lodging establishment, a hotel, a hospital, or anothermulti-unit environment. As shown, by way of example and not by way oflimitation, the hospitality environment is depicted as the hotel Hhaving various rooms and spaces, including a space P and back of thehouse operations O. As will be discussed in additional detail, thethermostat 12 is communicatively disposed with various amenitiesassociated with the hospitality environment or hotel H as well as ageolocation and safety network 58. Thermostats, like the thermostat 12,may be deployed throughout the spaces P and rooms of the hotel H.

As shown, in one embodiment, within the space P, which may be a hallwayor lobby, for example, the system 10 includes the thermostat 12 having ahousing 14 with physical connections 16, 18. A network cable 20 issecured to the physical connection 16. A configuration profile 22provides the information and credentials necessary for the thermostat 12to have convenient connections to amenities and a safe experience forthe guests as well as workers at the hotel H through the geolocation andsafety network 58, as will be described below. Multiple antennas mayprovide for the wireless capabilities of the thermostat 12 and include,for example, wireless standards: Wi-Fi 24, Bluetooth 26, and ZigBee 28.More generally, it should be appreciated that the cabling connected tothe thermostat 12 and antenna configuration will depend on theenvironment and application and the cabling connections and wirelessstandards presented in FIG. 1 are depicted for illustrative purposes.

The thermostat 12 communicates wirelessly with various amenities 30,which are depicted as environmental and service amenities, within andfor an environment of the space P. As shown, the amenities 30 mayinclude lighting 32, a speaker 34, window shades 36, a door 38, which isdepicted as a door indication for “Please Do Not Disturb,” and services40, which may include repair services, delivery services, orhousekeeping services, for example. A programmable device 42, such as asingle button programmable device 44 having a button 45 with Bluetoothcapabilities 46 or a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice 48 may be in communication with the thermostat 12 by a wirelessstandard. As shown, the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48 may be a wireless-enabled interactive handhelddevice that may be supplied or carried by the guest and may be selectedfrom a range of existing devices, such as, personal computers, laptops,tablet computers, smart phones, smart wearables, and smart watches, forexample. In one implementation, an application installed from a server56 enables the thermostat 12 and the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48 to be wirelessly paired. In anotherembodiment, a challenge-response is utilized to wirelessly pair thethermostat 12 and the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48.

As shown, the configuration profile 22 is loaded within the thermostat12. The configuration profile 22 may be loaded from the operations,e.g., a front desk or hotel headend, by use of a remote control, or by aproximate device, such as the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. The configuration profile 22 enables, inoperation, to query the status of one of the amenities 30, to furnishvirtual remote control functionality of the amenities 30 that may beprovided by the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice 48, and to import content from the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device to one of the amenities 30, such as thespeaker 34. Such functionality is depicted by the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48 having a display 50and a virtual interface 52 thereon for controlling the temperature ofthe space P by way of a Wi-Fi wireless signal 54 that is received by thethermostat 12 and transmitted to the HVAC system.

In another implantation, the thermostat 12 has a data link to the server56 which is providing the geolocation and safety network 58, whichincludes the thermostat 12 as well as the programmable device 42 in theform of the single button programmable device 44 or the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. In oneimplementation, an individual has the programmable device 44, which maytransmit a beacon from the programmable device 44 using a wirelessstandard such as the Bluetooth 46 to the thermostat 12. The thermostat12 then processes the received beacon signal and sends a broadcastsignal to the server 56. More particularly, with respect to data flow60, the programmable device 44 transmits a beacon signal 62 whichincludes a personal location device identification B identifying theprogrammable device 44. The beacon signal 62 is received by thethermostat 12 which transmits a broadcast signal 64 including thepersonal location device identification B, a thermostat identification Gidentifying the thermostat 12, and a signal characteristic indicator S,such as signal strength, for example. The server 56 receives thebroadcast signal 64 and uses multiple broadcast signals, includingbroadcast signal 66, for locationing 68, such as triangulation, of thelocation of the programmable device 44. The server 56, in turn, sendsout the appropriate notifications to various phones, activates alarms,or notifies others via a computer, depending on the situation. As aspatial array of horizontal and vertical thermostats are provided, theserver 56 and system presented herein is able to determine the locationof the individual associated with the programmable device 44 within abuilding. The location information determined includes which floor theindividual is presently located as well as the room or common area.

Referring to FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the thermostat 12 may be awall-mounted unit that is an information appliance device that generallycontains convenience and safety functionality in addition to monitoringand controlling heating and cooling in a room or other environment to asetpoint temperature. The thermostat 12 includes the housing 14 having afront wall 70, rear wall 72, side wall 74, side wall 76, top wall 78,and bottom base 80. It should be appreciated that front wall, rear wall,and side wall are relative terms used for descriptive purposes and theorientation and the nomenclature of the walls may vary depending onapplication. The front wall 70 includes various ports, such as thephysical connections 16, 18 that provide interfaces for variousinterfaces, including inputs (please see FIG. 4) and outputs 94 (pleasesee FIG. 4). In one implementation, as illustrated, the port 16 is anRJ45 port and port 18 is a USB2 port. It should be appreciated that theconfiguration of ports may vary with the thermostat depending onapplication and context. By way of further example, referring to FIG. 3Aand FIG. 3B, the thermostat 12 may have no additional ports.

Referring now to FIG. 4, within the housing 14, the inputs 92, theoutputs 94, a processor or processors 96, memory 98, storage 100, andthermostat circuitry 102 are interconnected by a bus architecture 104within a mounting architecture. The processor 96 may processinstructions for execution within the computing device, includinginstructions stored in the memory 98 or in the storage 100. The memory98 stores information within the computing device. In oneimplementation, the memory 98 is a volatile memory unit or units. Inanother implementation, the memory 98 is a non-volatile memory unit orunits. Storage 100 provides capacity that is capable of providing massstorage for the thermostat 12. The various inputs 92 and outputs 94provide connections to and from the computing device, wherein the inputs92 are the signals or data received by the thermostat 12, and theoutputs 94 are the signals or data sent from the thermostat 12.

Multiple transceivers 106 may be associated with the thermostat 12 andcommunicatively disposed with the bus 104. As shown the transceivers 106may be internal, external, or a combination thereof to the housing.Further, the transceivers 106 may be a transmitter/receiver, receiver,or an antenna for example. Communication between various amenities 30 inthe space P and the thermostat 12 may be enabled by a variety ofwireless methodologies employed by the transceiver 106, including802.11, 802.15, 802.15.4, 3G, 4G, Edge, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, near fieldcommunications (NFC), Bluetooth low energy and Bluetooth, for example.Also, infrared (IR) may be utilized.

The memory 98 and storage 100 are accessible to the processor 96 andinclude processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor 96 to execute a series of operations. With respect to firstprocessor-executable instructions, the processor 96 is caused toestablish a pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48 and the thermostat 12. The processor-executableinstructions then send user interface instructions relative to one ofthe amenities 30 to the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. The instructions may further cause the processor96 to receive and process user input instructions relative to one of theamenities 30 from the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. The processor-executable instructions may alsocause the processor 96 to generate a command signal and send the commandsignal to one of the amenities 30.

The memory 98 may also include second processor-executable instructionsthat, when executed, cause the processor 96 to receive and process thebeacon signal 62 including the personal location device identificationB. The instructions may then cause the processor 96 to generate thebroadcast signal 64 including the personal location deviceidentification B, the thermostat identification G, and the signalcharacteristics indicator S. Finally, the instructions may cause theprocessor 96 to send the broadcast signal to a server, such as theserver 56.

The memory 98 may also include third processor-executable instructionsthat, when executed, cause the processor 96 to establish a pairingbetween the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device48 and the thermostat 12. Following the establishment of a pairing, theprocessor-executable instructions may cause the processor 96 to senduser interface instructions relative to the amenity 30 to the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. The instructionsmay then cause the processor 96 to receive and process user inputinstructions relative to one of the amenities 30 from the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. As part of thestatus inquiry process, the processor-executable instructions may thengenerate a status inquiry, send the status inquiry to one of theamenities 30, receive a response to the status inquiry at the thermostat12, and forward a status response to the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48.

The memory 98 may include fourth processor-executable instructions that,when executed, cause the processor 96 to establish a pairing between theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48 and thethermostat 12 and then send user interface instructions relative to oneof the amenities 30 to the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. The processor-executable instructions mayfurther cause the processor 96 to receive and process user inputinstructions relative to one of the amenities 30 from the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. Then, the processor96 may be caused to import content from the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48, reformat the imported content, andforward the reformatted imported content to one of the amenities 30.

Thus, the systems and methods disclosed herein may enable users to useexisting electronic devices as a temporary remote control device tocontrol various amenities. Therefore, the systems and methods presentedherein avoid the need for additional or expensive high functionalityremote controls. In this respect, the teachings presented herein alsoinclude providing the software and/or application for the electronicdevice or interactive handheld device. The application, to the extentneeded, may be downloaded from the Internet or alternatively madeavailable by download from a thermostat. Further, the systems andmethods disclosed herein may enable users to be part of a geolocationand safety network.

FIG. 5 depicts one embodiment of the thermostat 12. In this embodiment,chipsets 150, 152 respectively include a program port 154, storage 156and storage 158 and a program port 160. The chipset 150 includes anantenna for wireless protocol Wi-Fi 24, while the chipset 152 includesantennas for wireless protocol Bluetooth 26 and wireless protocol ZigBee28. Serial and radio management communications are enabled between thechipset 150 and the chipset 152. A physical connector 162 is connectedto the chipset 150 to provide data thereto. The source of the data isthe RJ45 port 16, which includes coupling magnet components 164. TheRJ45 port 16 may also provide a power of Ethernet which is received by apower of Ethernet circuit component 166 and forwarded to a power supply168. In the illustrated embodiment, the USB Type B port 18 may alsoprovide power to the power supply 168.

FIG. 6 depicts another operational embodiment of a portion of thethermostat 12 shown in FIG. 4. In this operational embodiment, thethermostat 12 is located in communication with an HVAC system 110, whichmay be servicing the space P and/or the hotel H, for example. The HVACsystem 110 includes terminal connections 112 a, 112 b, 112 c, and 112 dproviding an interface to various components of the HVAC system 110,including cooling, heating, humidity, and electronic air cleaning, forexample. The terminal connections 112 a, 112 b, 112 c, 112 d areprovided by way of nonlimiting example and it should be appreciated thatthe number and configuration of terminal connections may vary dependingon the HVAC system 110 and application.

As shown, the thermostat circuitry 102 is interposed between theprocessor 96 and the HVAC system 110. The transceiver 106 communicateswith the processor 96 and the transceiver 106 is depicted as a ZigBeeantenna 114 in this embodiment. The inputs 92 and the outputs 94 to thethermostat 12 include a wired input/output device 116, a user interface118, and a temperature sensor 120.

In the illustrated embodiment, the processor includes an HVAC controller122, an HVAC manager 124 having a programming interface 126, and ananalog-to-digital converter 128 (ADC). The thermostat circuitry 102includes interface circuits 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d coupled toterminal interfaces 132 a, 132 b, 132 c, 132 d. Each of the interfacecircuits 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d have an amplification circuit 134 a,134 b, 134 c, 134 d and an input/output circuit 136 a, 136 b, 136 c, 136d.

The processor 96 may execute machine-readable instructions stored inmemory on behalf of the thermostat 12. By way of example, the processor96 may include a microprocessor having one or more cores,microcontroller, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), digitalsignal processor, digital logic devices configured to execute as a statemachine, analog circuits configured to execute as a state machine, or acombination of the above, for example. The processor 96 storesinstructions that may include at least one of HVAC controller logicembodied in the HVAC controller 122 and configurable input and outputmanager logic embodied in HVAC manager 124. In one embodiment, the HVACmanager may include a programming interface 120, which is configured tocommunicate with the thermostat 12 and provide process-executableinstructions thereto by way of non-transitory memory accessible to theprocessor 96.

The HVAC controller 122 is configured to receive and store userselectable configuration parameters for configuring, via the HVACmanager 124, the terminal connections 112 a, 112 b, 112 c, 112 d of theHVAC system 110 as part of the monitoring and controlling of heating andcooling in a room or other environment to a setpoint temperature. TheHVAC controller 122 communicates the various configuration parametersand setpoint temperature to the HVAC manager 124, which may also receiveconfiguration parameters from the programming interface 126.

In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC manager 124 generates andoutputs a group of configuration control signals for each of theinput/output circuits 136 a, 136 b, 136 c, 136 d and each associatedamplification circuit 134 a, 134 b, 134 c, 134 d of the interfacecircuits 130 a, 130 b, 130 c, 130 d based on the parameters tocommunicate with the HVAC system 110. Once the terminal interfaces 132a, 132 b, 132 c, 132 d have been configured for a respective input oroutput interface signal type by the interface circuits 130 a, 130 b, 130c, 130 d, the amplification circuits 134 a, 134 b, 134 c, 134 d mayemploy one or more of the configuration control signals to scale andnormalize the feedback signals from the respective terminal interfaces132 a, 132 b, 132 c, 132 d to the interface circuits 130 a, 130 b, 130c, 130 d, which, in turn, drive signals to the ADC 128, which, asmentioned, forms a portion of the processor 96. The ADC 128 converts thefeedback signal to a multi-bit digital signal that be provided to orstored in memory associated with the processor 96 for access by both theHVAC controller 122 and the HVAC manager 124 for further processing. Asshown in the implementation presented in FIG. 2, the thermostat 12 mayalso include one or more common, neutral return or earth groundterminals 138 a and 138 b for connecting to a respective common, neutralreturn or earth ground connection of the HVAC system 110, for example.

As mentioned hereinabove, in one implementation, the thermostat 12includes the transceiver 106, shown as the ZigBee antenna 114. Thethermostat 12 may also include the wired input/output device 116 thatmay employ a standard network communication protocol, such as BACnet™ orother network protocol, for enabling signal communication to and fromthe thermostat 12. The thermostat 12 may further include the userinterface 118 coupled to the processor 96 via a standard bus or otherbi-directional parallel or serial communication protocol connection. Theuser interface 118 may be a standard touch screen or combination of akeyboard and display, or other input/output device. When executinginstructions provided by a user or programming software or firmwarecontained in a setup or configuration application, for example, theprocessor 96 may generate and display a screen via the user interface118 that includes a user selectable settings input to enable a user,whether a guest, resident, technician, or thermostat installer, toidentify system parameters to the processor 96 pertaining to the HVACsystem 110. The temperature sensor 120 provides input regarding thetemperature at or near the thermostat 12 within the space P, forexample. It should be appreciated that although a particular thermostatarchitecture is presented in FIG. 6, other architectures are withing theteachings presented herein.

FIG. 7 depicts one embodiment of a method for providing conveniencethrough a remote control device controlling amenities, according to theteachings presented herein. At block 170, a search, which may be activeor passive, is performed by the thermostat to identify a physicallyproximate programmable device in the multi-room environment, forexample. At block 172, a pairing is established. As noted by block 174,the pairing may provide an experience that includes providing a virtualinterface with virtual buttons, for example. Referring to decision block176, as previously discussed, the virtual remote controls and interfaceeach correspond to amenities 30 under the control of the thermostat 12and, as a result, in addition to monitoring and control of thethermostat 12, the status of the amenity may be determined, the amenitymay be controlled, or a programmable device experience may be initiated.

With respect to thermostat control, at block 180, instructions areprovided from the thermostat 12 for a virtual interface on a touchscreen display associated with the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48. In one embodiment, the virtualbuttons are associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48 and relate to obtaining user input for thethermostat. At block 182, the thermostat 12 receives and processescontrol functionality input instructions from the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. At block 184, thecommands are translated into a command signal. At block 186, the commandsignal is sent to the HVAC system.

With respect to amenity status, at block 188, instructions are providedto the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48 toenable requests for the status of an amenity. At block 190, commands arereceived at the thermostat 12 relative to user input and a statusinquiry. At block 192, the commands are translated and at block 194 astatus inquiry is sent to the amenity. At block 196, a response to thestatus inquiry is received at the thermostat and forwarded to theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48 at block198.

With respect to control of amenities, at block 200, instructions areprovided from the thermostat for a virtual interface on a touch screendisplay associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. In one embodiment, the virtual buttons areassociated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice 48 and relate to obtaining user input for the amenity controlfunctionality provided by the thermostat 12. At block 202, thethermostat receives and processes amenity control functionality inputinstructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device. At block 204, the commands are translated into acommand signal. At block 206, the command signal is sent to theparticular amenity.

Returning now to decision block 186 and the importation of content fromthe proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48, atblock 208, instructions are provided from the thermostat 12 for aninterface including virtual buttons, for example, on a touch screendisplay associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. The virtual buttons may be associated with theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48 and relateto obtaining user input for the programmable device experiencefunctionality provided by the thermostat 12. At block 210, thethermostat receives and processes virtual remote control functionalityinput instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. At block 212, the commands are translated into acommand signal and sent to the amenity at block 214. At block 216,content is imported from the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. At block 218, the imported content isreformatted for the targeted amenity and forwarded thereto at block 220.As discussed, the fully tuned signal including the imported contentprovides an upstream parallel experience on the television related tothe content on the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice 48.

FIG. 8 depicts one embodiment of a method for providing safety in ahospitality environment or other environment, according to the teachingspresented herein. At block 230, the array of thermostats is deployedvertically and horizontally throughout the hospitality environment. Atblock 232, beacon signals are periodically transmitted from personallocation devices and received by the thermostats 12.

At block 234, the beacon signals are received and processed at thethermostat 12. The beacon signals may include a personal location deviceidentification corresponding to the device being employed by the user.In one embodiment, signal strength between the beacon transmission ofthe set-top boxes and the common area beacons at the wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48 is measured. In other embodiments,phase angle measurements or flight time measurements may be utilized. Atblock 236, broadcast signals are sent from the thermostats 12 to aserver that is part of the geolocation and safety network 58. Thebroadcast signals may include the personal location deviceidentification, thermostat identification, and signal characteristicindicators. At block 238, the server receives and processes thebroadcast signals. At decision block 240, the server takes action basedon the mode of operation. In a first mode of operation at block 242, aservice request is associated with the location of the user utilizingthe location of the personal location device such as thewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48 as a proxy. In asecond mode of operation at block 244, an emergency alert is sent andsubsequent notification (block 246) occurs. The emergency alert includesan indication of distress and the location of the user utilizing thelocation of the wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48 as aproxy. In a third mode of operation at block 248, the map of individualsis updated with the location of the user with, if privacy settings beingenabled, the system maintains the privacy of the individual working inthe hospitality environment such that the system only retains in memorythe last known position and time of the user-supplied wireless-enabledsmart and interactive handheld device. Further, in this mode ofoperation, the system does not reveal the location of the individual andprogrammable device unless and until an alert is issued.

The order of execution or performance of the methods and data flowsillustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwisespecified. That is, elements of the methods and data flows may beperformed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and that the methodsmay include more or less elements than those disclosed herein. Forexample, it is contemplated that executing or performing a particularelement before, contemporaneously with, or after another element are allpossible sequences of execution.

While this invention has been described with reference to illustrativeembodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in alimiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of theillustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention,will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to thedescription. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claimsencompass any such modifications or embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for remote control, the systemcomprising: a programming interface configured to communicate with athermostat, the thermostat including a housing securing a temperatureinput, a temperature output, a processor, non-transitory memory, andstorage therein, the thermostat including a busing architecturecommunicatively interconnecting the temperature input, the temperatureoutput, the processor, the non-transitory memory, and the storage, thethermostat including a wireless transceiver associated with the housingand coupled to the busing architecture; and the non-transitory memoryaccessible to the processor, the non-transitory memory including firstprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor,cause the system to: establish a pairing between a proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the thermostat,receive and process user input instructions relative to an amenity fromthe proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, generatea status inquiry, send the status inquiry to the amenity, receive aresponse to the status inquiry at the thermostat, and forward theresponse to the status inquiry to the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device; and the non-transitory memory includingsecond processor-executable instructions that, when executed by theprocessor, cause the system to: receive and process a beacon signalincluding a personal location device identification, generate abroadcast signal including the personal location device identification,a thermostat identification, and a signal characteristics indicator, andsend the broadcast signal to a server.
 2. The system as recited in claim1, wherein the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice comprises a device selected from the group consisting of personalcomputers, laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches.3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the personal locationdevice identification is generated by a personal location device, thepersonal location device further comprising the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device.
 4. The system asrecited in claim 1, wherein the personal location device identificationis generated by a personal location device, the personal location devicefurther comprising a single button personal location device.
 5. Thesystem as recited in claim 1, wherein the amenity is selected from thegroup consisting of television, lighting control, speakers, window shadecontrol, and door security.
 6. The system as recited in claim 1, whereinthe signal characteristics indicator is based on the beacon signal beingreceived at the thermostat.
 7. The system as recited in claim 6, whereinthe signal characteristics indicator is selected from the groupconsisting of signal strength measurements, phase angle measurements,and flight time measurements.
 8. The system as recited in claim 1,wherein the first processor-executable instructions associated with thenon-transitory memory further includes processor-executable instructionsthat, when executed by the processor, cause the system to: send userinterface instructions relative to the amenity to the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device.
 9. The system asrecited in claim 1, wherein the memory includes thirdprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to: establish the pairing between the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the thermostat,send the user interface instructions relative to the amenity to theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, receive andprocess the user input instructions relative to the amenity from theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, importcontent from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice, reformat the imported content, and forward the reformattedimported content to the amenity.
 10. A system for remote control, thesystem comprising: a programming interface configured to communicatewith a thermostat, the thermostat including a housing securing atemperature input, a temperature output, a processor, non-transitorymemory, and storage therein, the thermostat including a busingarchitecture communicatively interconnecting the temperature input, thetemperature output, the processor, the non-transitory memory, and thestorage, the thermostat including a wireless transceiver associated withthe housing and coupled to the busing architecture; and thenon-transitory memory including first processor-executable instructionsthat, when executed by the processor, cause the system to: receive andprocess a beacon signal including a personal location deviceidentification, generate a broadcast signal including the personallocation device identification, a thermostat identification, and asignal characteristics indicator.
 11. The system as recited in claim 10,wherein the personal location device identification is generated by apersonal location device, the personal location device furthercomprising a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device.12. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the personal locationdevice identification is generated by a personal location device, thepersonal location device further comprising a single button personallocation device.
 13. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein thesignal characteristics indicator is based on the beacon signal beingreceived at the thermostat.
 14. The system as recited in claim 10,wherein the signal characteristics indicator is selected from the groupconsisting of signal strength measurements, phase angle measurements,and flight time measurements.
 15. The system as recited in claim 10,wherein the non-transitory memory includes second processor-executableinstructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:establish a pairing between a proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device and the thermostat, send user interface instructionsrelative to an amenity to the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device, receive and process user input instructionsrelative to the amenity from the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device, generate a status inquiry, and send the statusinquiry to the amenity, receive a response to the status inquiry at thethermostat, and forward the response to the status inquiry to theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device.
 16. Thesystem as recited in claim 15, wherein the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device comprises a device selected from thegroup consisting of personal computers, laptops, tablet computers, smartphones, and smart watches.
 17. The system as recited in claim 15,wherein the amenity is selected from the group consisting of television,lighting control, speakers, window shade control, and door security. 18.The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the non-transitory memoryincludes third processor-executable instructions that, when executed bythe processor, cause the system to: establish a pairing between aproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and thethermostat, the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice comprises a device selected from the group consisting of personalcomputers, laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches,send user interface instructions relative to an amenity to the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device, receive and processuser input instructions relative to the amenity from the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device, generate a commandsignal, and send the command signal to the amenity.
 19. The system asrecited in claim 18, wherein the amenity is selected from the groupconsisting of television, lighting control, speakers, window shadecontrol, and door security.
 20. A system for remote control, the systemcomprising: a programming interface configured to communicate with athermostat, the thermostat including a housing securing a temperatureinput, a temperature output, a processor, non-transitory memory, andstorage therein, the thermostat including a busing architecturecommunicatively interconnecting the temperature input, the temperatureoutput, the processor, the non-transitory memory, and the storage, thethermostat including a wireless transceiver associated with the housingand coupled to the busing architecture; and the non-transitory memoryincluding first processor-executable instructions that, when executed bythe processor, cause the system to: establish a pairing between aproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and thethermostat, receive and process a beacon signal including a personallocation device identification, generate a broadcast signal includingthe personal location device identification, a thermostatidentification, and a signal characteristics indicator.